Coping with visitation: 2 tips

There is not secret that many parents don’t want to create a parenting plan with visitation because they don’t want to give up any time with their children. The stark reality is that there is not a choice. If two people are involved in a divorce and both have parental responsibilities, they’ll likely both have visitation rights as well.

If you’re struggling to cope with visitation, you shouldn’t feel unusual. The reality is that many people feel the same way. Parents go through a period of adjustment, just as children do in this situation. Here’s what you should remember.

1. You can cope with missing your child

The first thing you’ll have to learn to deal with is missing your child. Yes, there is a period of adjustment for any parent who has to go without seeing his or her child for a period of time. To deal with this, consider arranging your schedule in a way that gives you little time to be at home or to care for a child. You’ll be so busy that you won’t be as preoccupied with missing your child on those days.

2. Let go of guilt

Another thing that can help you cope is to let go of guilt. It is not your fault that your child has to share two homes; you and your spouse simply had a marriage that did not work out. Let go of the negative thoughts and guilty feelings you have; you’ll be happier when you spend time with your kids.

These are a couple things to remember if you have to share custody. It’s normal to struggle to adjust to visitation, but it can be done.